Planning to Spend More Time Outside This Spring? These Apps Are a Great Start

Spring is here, bringing you more warm and sunny days to take advantage of. That means it's time to put your TV show binge watching on hold and enjoy the outdoors. And whether you're looking for a park to camp out at or a new trail to hike on or want to stargaze from your own yard, we've found several apps that can help you get started. 

Check out these apps to help you find something fun to do outdoors that everyone will enjoy. For more, here's what you need to know about running your first 5K marathon.

Oh, Ranger! ParkFinder

Try a new park with your friends and family using Oh, Ranger! ParkFinder (download for iOS). This app has a huge database of almost every national, state and local park in the United States.

Choose the park you're interested and see all of the activities it has to offer. The database also has descriptions of all the activities provided. Many locations offer sports, water activities, disc golf, playgrounds, camping and other possibilities.

Charity Miles

Have fun outdoors and raise money for a good cause with Charity Miles (download for iOS or Android). Earn money for the charity of your choice by walking, running or cycling. Have a friend or relative join you to double the money you raise.

Charity Miles will log your information using the in-app pedometer, run tracker, walking timer, cycling meter and running stopwatch. Before you begin your workout, use the stopwatch provided in-app to start your timer.

There are 28 charities to choose from, so pick one and get moving!

Geocaching

Go on a treasure hunt with the Geocaching app (download for iOS or Android). All around the world, these modern-day treasure chests are just waiting to be found. Geocaches are basically hidden containers that people fill with trinkets.

You'll receive hints, descriptions, recent activity and attributes for each geocache. You'll find the geocaches by using the map, compass and driving instructions. Some geocaches will take longer to find, depending on how hard it is to find. Live Search will update the geocaches near you as you move around.

This app is free, but you can unlock more features (like premium caches) with the premium upgrade.

Night Sky

Gaze at the stars with your loved ones with Night Sky (download for iOS). Try to find and identify planets, star constellations and satellites by pointing your phone camera toward the sky. The free app uses augmented reality to outline the objects in the sky.

If there's something specific you're looking for, like Jupiter or the International Space Station, use the Night Sky Siri Shortcuts on iPhone. You'll need iOS 13 or later to use this feature.

The app is free, but you can upgrade to the premium version for $5 monthly or $30 yearly. Premium unlocks Planetary Portals, where you can step onto the surface of other planets in AR. You'll also gain access to Night Sky Tours for any location worldwide.

Yonder

Let Yonder (download for iOS) help you plan your next outdoor adventure. Find activities near you that you love, like kayaking or hiking, and gather your friends for a fun experience. Use Yonder to help you find beautiful trails and share your experience with the community.

Decide what you want to do and search in the app for places that offer that activity. Gain inspiration for your next hike by viewing other visitors' photos and experiences in the area and finding out what makes that destination special. You can even share your memories with others through photos and videos.

Komoot

For the active family, use Komoot (download for iOS or Android) to organize your next cycling or hiking trip. The in-app planner details every trail with information about the terrain, difficulty, distance and elevation.

Turn-by-turn voice navigation keeps your eyes on the trail and off your phones for a safe journey. Track your rides and hikes with GPS and add photos to remember your experience.

Komoot gives you your first region (route) for free, and additional regions cost $4 each.

Cairn

For any outdoor adventure you go on, use Cairn (download for iOS or Android) to keep you safe. Cairn lets you share your location with your friends and family, find spots with cell coverage and download maps to use offline.

Share your location with your friends in case you get separated while hiking. They'll be able to use your GPS location to find you. You can also set up a "due back time" if your group decides to split up. If someone hasn't returned by that time, you can search for them on the map. Before you go, however, check out the area to make sure cell coverage is available.

Maps, trails and cell coverage are free, but you can also subscribe for more features for $5 per month or $27 yearly. You'll get a 30-day free trial so you can try out all of the features.

Bivy

Bivy (download for iOS or Android) is similar to some of the apps mentioned above, with 17 different adventure types, like hiking, kayaking, skiing, rock climbing and cycling. There are tens of thousands of fully mapped adventures and trails. Filter your excursion by type, difficulty and quality.

Bivy will keep track of your pace, mileage, calories burned, top speed, resting time and ETA. Bivy will also alert you if you veer off the path. Share your location with your friends and family so they can see which path you're on in case you get lost.

The cost is $3 for one month or $30 for a year.